Peter O’Toole Dead at 81 After Long Illness

Once known as the charismatic actor who played T.E. Lawrence of Lawrence of Arabia, Peter O’Toole is dead at the age of 81, following a bout of a long illness. The actor was being treated at Wellington Hospital in London. His grieving daughter, Kate, expressed her gratitude regarding the “outpouring of real love and affection,” from the public.

O’Toole’s success came from the enriched role of T.E. Lawrence, which was cast by Sir David Lean. The role portrayed the story of a British WW I soldier who became the leader of a rebellion. In the early 1960’s, a superstar was born and O’Toole went on to win several Academy Award nominations for his illustrious

Actor Peter O’Toole as Lawrence of Arabia

career in varying movies, such as The Lion in Winter, Venus and more. Fame came with a price when O’Toole started drinking heavily, his health declining drastically.

A decade after his success, O’Toole was given a death sentence when an abdominal irregularity landed him in the hospital. Soon after his successful surgery, O’Toole promised to live every day fully. He promptly quit drinking and committed to going back strong to acting. Success was met as O’Toole gained favor for starring in The Stunt Man, My Favorite Year and the triumphant mini-series, Joan of Arc.

In 2012, O’Toole announced his retirement, following a successful stint as Pope Paul III in the dramatic series, The Tudors. Currently, the illness O’Toole acquired and eventually died from, has not been released to the press. His agent Steve Kenis reached out to press and it was the Guardian UK who originally broke the news of the actor’s death. Peter O’Toole dead at 81 after a long illness. May he R.I.P.